Tina Turner said it best with her famous song lyric from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome - “we don’t need another hero.”  That sentiment has grown in popularity given an over-saturation of the superhero genre on film and television across the past two decades.  Interest is waning, at least based on box-office figures, so how many more times can risk-averse Hollywood studios roll out the same familiar characters and cliched ideas (power, sacrifice, good vs evil) before their investments become unprofitable?

Hold on though!  Despite my jaded outlook, I’m happy to report this new Superman is very good. In the same vein as Top Gun: Maverick, the premise isn’t wildly original, but it makes a bunch of great artistic choices which, when blended, add up to a worthwhile movie.  The person worthy of the most credit is writer-director James Gunn who has a proven track record having made all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies.

Let’s start the cast.  I applaud the idea of casting a lesser-known actor in the title role as he doesn’t come with baggage or preconceptions.  David Corenswet (Pearl) provides the character with physicality but also a softer, vulnerable side that makes him easier to connect with.  Emmy winner Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) adds spark to Lois Lane and, as we see from an early scene in her apartment, she’s as much a valuable muse as a love interest.  A bald Nicolas Hoult (The Great) impresses as a psychotic villain with credible plans and keeps-you-guessing motives.  His henchmen must be well paid as they seemed to enjoy the destruction too much.

The structure is also a winner.  Gunn doesn’t want this to be another “origin story” and he gets straight into battle with the opening sequence.  The Superman we meet is already part of society and his identity is known to Lois (they’ve been dating for several months).  We therefore avoid unnecessary guff, and the 2-hour runtime moves quickly.  Gunn, working with editors William Roy and Craig Alpert, finds the right balance in blending humour with drama.  The tone skews more towards the heavy side but there’s moments of levity, such as a romantic subplot involving a Daily Planet photographer (Gisondo), that fit nicely within the broader narrative.

The action scenes are well choreographed.  The camera often moves at a rapid pace (very quick pans) but you always have a clear sense of what’s going on.  Composers John Murphy and David Fleming have used John Williams’ distinctive music from the 1978 Superman and crafted a slower, gentler remix which adds weight during the film’s emotional sections.

The themes are a touch heavy handed (misinformation and “fake news” is a drummed home repeatedly) and a few supporting players are comedically over-the-top (Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern) but Superman is still an entertaining jaunt.  Maybe we do need another hero?